(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic record player, and more particularly it pertains to a pickup arm movement control system for use in an automatic record player to control the movement of the pickup arm.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed and practiced, in the past, a number of methods to materialize automatic performance of a record player. Such known methods include the use of a pickup arm head equipped with a specifically designed cartridge shell having an optical device incorporated therein to optically detect unmodulated spaces formed on a surface of a record disk where no sound track is present. Such cartridge shell is operative so that, upon receipt of an output from this optical device, a control unit which is provided on the record player starts controlling operations for driving specific members, such as the pickup arm, the pickup arm lifter and other parts of the record player. This type of prior art record player, however, has disadvantages in that it requires such a specially designed pickup cartridge equipped with the above-mentioned optical device for performing the intended automatic operations including uplifting as well as descending movements of the pickup arm and also programmed movements of the pickup arm. By the use of other ordinary types of pickup cartridge not provided with such optical device, however, the record player will no longer be able to make automatic performances.